Turkey Breast Southwest Style

If you think the recent election showed how petty politics can be, believe me, the squabbles over nonsense are nothing new. Take Thanksgiving. In 1939, it was on the last Thursday in November. But retailers wanted to have more days for Christmas shopping so they convinced president FDR to change the date to the 4th Thursday. Republicans refused to comply with a Democratic president's plan! GOP states continued to celebrate on the last Thursday and for years there were two Thanksgivings!

Even after a joint resolution of Congress, some states refused to comply. It wasn't until 1957 that every state celebrated on the 4th Thursday. The last holdout was Texas.

Mmmmm.

I am happy to celebrate this coming Thanksgiving with everyone else on the 28th, the 4th Thursday. So, with a wink and a nod to Texas, here's a recipe for Southwest style turkey breast for those who don't want to roast a whole turkey on Thanksgiving or any other time. (If you do, double the seasonings and juice).

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Turkey Breast, Southwest Style

1 half turkey breast about 3 pounds

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, mashed

2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 cup apricot or orange juice

salt if desired

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Rinse and dry the turkey and place it skin side up in a roasting pan. Combine the olive oil, garlic, oregano, chili powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper and brush the turkey with this mixture. Sprinkle with salt if desired. Place the turkey in the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 350 degrees. Roast for 20 minutes. Pour the juice over the turkey. Roast for another 40-65 minutes, basting occasionally, or until a meat thermometer stuck into the thickest part of the breast reads 160 degrees. Remove the turkey from the oven and let rest for about 15 minutes before carving.

Makes 4 servings.

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Roasting a turkey half breast

Suppose you're not roasting a whole turkey for Thanksgiving?

For example, your family just likes white meat. Or dark.

A whole turkey does look festive. And is traditional.

Still, if you don't like one part or another, just cook the part you like.

Fortunately for me, my Thanksgiving gang likes every part of the turkey. But when it's just Ed and me, or when I have Eileen and Jeff over for dinner, it's breast-only.

So, if you'll be cooking turkey breast for Thanksgiving or some other time, here's one of my easy, go-to recipes.

Roasted Turkey Half Breast with Sweet White Wine

• half turkey breast, about 4 pounds

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1-½ tablespoons chopped fresh ginger

• 1 large clove garlic, finely chopped

• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (or use 1/2 teaspoon dried)

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 1-½ cups sweet white wine such as Riesling

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Rinse and dry the turkey breast and place it skin side up in a roasting pan. Brush the skin with the olive oil. Scatter the ginger, garlic and thyme over the breast. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to 325 degrees. Place the turkey in the oven. Roast for 30 minutes. Pour the wine over the turkey. Continue to roast for another 40-50 minutes, basting occasionally, or until a meat thermometer placed in the thickest part of the breast measures 160°F. Remove the turkey from the oven and let rest for about 15 minutes before carving. Serve with pan fluids.

Makes 6 servings.

Roasted Turkey

Roasted Turkey carved by Gillian

This is Gillian, my daughter and our family’s master carver.

We are not that traditional family who always gives the task to the man of the house.

Gillian is so good at this that no one else ever offers anymore, although my son-in-law Greg does a good job on other meats.

We are a turkey-loving family, so Gillian gets lots of practice. 

It’s turkey for Passover, that’s for sure. It’s the family tradition, dating as far back as my grandmother, then my mother and now me. (though I would guess that my grandmother’s mother, who lived in the “old country” (Iasi, Romania) probably didn’t make a turkey on Passover.

I make turkey parts (breasts, thighs and so on) when it’s just a few of us for dinner. But when the whole family gets together, I prefer a whole, roasted bird. Fortunately some of us like dark meat, some white. We even eat the neck and giblets (that I roast right along with the bird).

Although I season the turkey lots of different ways, depending on the occasion, for Passover I use the family standard: a few sprinkles of salt, pepper, garlic and paprika; baste with orange juice (or mango, apple, pineapple juice).

It’s simple and easy. The juices make wonderful gravy too.

I never put a foil tent over the bird when it’s roasting. It makes the meat too wet and steamy. I have found that by roasting the bird backside up for about half the time, then turning it over, the skin doesn’t scorch, so there’s no need for a tent.

Be sure to use a meat thermometer. It’s the best way to be sure that you don’t overcook the turkey. I don’t trust the “pop-up” devices. They are programmed for too high a temperature and by the time they pop up the turkey is overcooked and dry.

Another tip: let the turkey rest for at least 15 minutes before you carve it. This lets the juices stay inside to keep the meat moist. Also, it’s easier to carve. The temperature will go up a couple of degrees during this resting period.

Roasted Turkey

• 1 turkey, 12-15 pounds

• 2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil

• salt, freshly ground black pepper, garlic powder and paprika

• 1 cup orange juice, apple juice, white wine or chicken stock

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the plastic bag of giblets from inside the turkey. Wash the giblets and set them aside. Wash the inside of the turkey thoroughly. Wash the skin and remove any obvious hairs and pinfeathers. Wipe the surface of the turkey with paper towels and brush the skin with the olive oil. Place the turkey breast-side up on a rack in a roasting pan. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika (you don’t need to measure these spices, just dust the surface with them). Turn over the turkey and sprinkle the back with the seasonings. Keep the turkey breast-side down. Roast the turkey for 45-50 minutes. Baste with pan juices and pour the orange juice (or other liquid) over the bird. Roast for another 45-50 minutes. Baste the turkey and turn it breast-side up. Roast the turkey until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees (or a meat thermometer in the breast reads 160 degrees), or when the juices run clear when the thigh (or breast) is pricked with the tip of a sharp knife (12-15 pound turkey should take 3-3-1/2 hours). After you turn the turkey breast-side up, baste it every 15-20 minutes, stopping about 1/2 hour before you expect the turkey to be done.

Yield: general rule is one pound of whole turkey weight per person (a 12-15-pound turkey will feed 12-15 people, for example)